Tuesday, October 7, 2014

In addition to art projects, we drove each day to near-by towns. If we went mornings there were often markets, afternoons it was museums, or beautiful churches and all had amazing architecture and unexpected photo opportunities.Lacoste

Monday, October 6, 2014

Our first project was a "petite keepsake journal"Back in March, when I knew I was going on this trip I started an altered-book travel journal. I used a commercially made 5x7" blank book with various pretty artwork already on the pages.

In keeping with One Little Word, I had the beginning pages focus on what I wanted from the trip:

being mindful . . .

. . . telling stories . . .

. . . mapping my journey

And for each part of the trip I made a separate section with what I knew of the itinerary, maps, names of participants and space to add photos, ephemera and commentary.

So for the keepsake journal, I thought I would make it an autograph book.

First design the front and back covers, then brush melted beeswax on the covers. I've done this before and got a bit cocky, thinking I knew what I was doing. It resulted in very rough, streaky beeswax. Oh well. It goes with the ocean theme.

Next attach the covers to a piece of black construction paper, sew the pages in with ribbon (I used woad dyed rayon),

embellish the ribbon holding it together and viola!

the finished book.

Inside front cover

who, what, where, when

After my new friends wrote in it, I added paper bits that reminded me of them. For some I am still searching for that perfect image to embellish their sweet words.